Switch



June 23, 1931. c Rl 1,811,714

SWITCH Filed Nov. 4, 1927 WITNESSES INVENTOR 9 Peier'fl 0410mm BY W ATTO R N EY Patented June 23, 1931 PETER T. GALAMARI, OIE. RIVER, CONNECTICUT,

'Application. flled November 4, 1927'. Serial in. 231,105.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of a switch which may have a wide range of utility, but which is primarily designed for automatically controlling right and leftturning signals on an automotive vehicle. v

An object of the present invention is to provide a direction signal controlling switch of this character, which is automatically operated by the steering rod of a car, and a switch which maybe conveniently mounted upon any type of car, and which is extremely unlikely to et out of order.

Other Ob ects of the invention are to provide a switch of extremely simple, practical construction, which will be rugged and durable in use, and well suited to the requirements of economical manufacture.

With the abovenoted and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel.

features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will-be more fully hereinafter setforth and pointed out in the claims. The invent-ion may more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein V Fig. 1 is a schematic view showingthe manner in which my improved switch is associated with the directionsignalling lights of an automotive vehicle. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1. a

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational,.,detail showing the manner of mounting the switch on the instrument board of a car.

In Fig. 10f the drawings I have used they reference numerals 10 and 11 to indicate left and right signal lights for. an automobile,

these lights being arranged preferably at the rear ofthe car on each side of the conventional stop light 12and above the license plate 13.

It is to be understood that the particular design of the signal lights, their method of mounting, etc., and their exact location forms no part of the present invention which is particularly concerned with the construction of the switch for controlling the lights/ The usualsteering rod or post 14 is utilized to control my improved switch, and with this end View, is provided wit-h a V-shaped notch 15 at a point preferably immediately below the instrument board 16 of the car. Various eXpedients mightbe resorted to for mountin the switch which controls the signal lights. or illustrative purposes, [I have shown a metal strap 17 secured as at 18 to the forward'face of the instrument board 16 and carrying the stationary member 19 of the switch. Member 19 preferably in the nature of a' block of insulating material, is secured to the. bracket 17 by a screw or other convenient or conventional securing means.

The switch block 19 is provided with a pair of spaced stationary contacts, such for instance as the screws or binding posts 20, 21.

These contacts are connected by lead wires 22, 23 to therespective signal lamps 11' and 10;.

. the lamps being grounded at 24. A lead wire" 25 from the battery 26 is in electrical communication with a strip of conductive material 27 inlaid in the face of the block 19. r

, A movable switch member such as the elongated member 28 is rockably andslidably mounted on the face of the block 19, preferably by a screw 29 passed through a slotp30 in the member 28 and anchored inthe block 19. Spring contact fingers 31, 32 are arranged at oppositesides of the member 28 and are preferably integral with a contactplate 33 lying behind the member 28 and in electrical contact with the strip 27. The fingers31 and Y 32 cooperate with the "stationary contacts 20 and 21 respectively to close signal circuits through the lamps 10 and 11. f In the position shown in Fig. 1, a circuit is made through the lamp 11. Rocking movement of the member 28 to swing its upper end toward the right, will bring this member into neutral position and further rocking in the same direction will cause the finger 32 to engage the contact 21 and light the opposite direction signal 10.

The lowerend of the member 28 is preferably in the nature of a shoe or wear-point 35 having a V-shaped terminal end 36 which seats in the notch 15 of the steering post when the switch member 28 is in its central neutral position. Movement of the steering post in either direction will cause a camming engagethe notch 15 tending to rock the switch member 28 in one direction or the other about its pivot and to close a circuit through one or the other of the direction signals when the steering post has been rotated to a predetermined position. Preferably, the construction is such that the signals are not operated upon slight rotations of the steering post from its central position.

It will be apparent that the switch member 28 must be free for sliding movement as well as rocking movement on the block 19, as it would otherwise tend to block rotation of the post or else have a loose fit in the notch 15. Vith this in mind, a slot and pin connection is provided at 29, 30 and a coiled contractile spring 4:0 anchored at one end to the screw 29 and at its other end to a pin 41 on the switch member 28 urges the switch member 28 against the steering post at all times and assures proper seating from the point 36 in the notch 15 when the steering post is in its central neutral position.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the switch is entirely automatic in operation and controlled directly from the steering post. Also that the switch may be readily applied to any standard make of car without any change, except the use of a slightly different form of supporting bracket.

Obviously, a switch embodying the present invention might be used to control signals of any desired character, such for instance as sets of turning signals at both the front and rear of the car, the particular mechanism controlled by the switch being subject to considerable variation.

In fact, numerous changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described withoutdeparting from the invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An electrical switch including a stationary block and a pair of spaced contacts thereon, a switch arm slidably fulcrumed inter mediate its ends on the block for rocking movement across the face of the block, a pair of spaced spring contacts carried by one end of the arm engageable with the respective fixed cont-acts as the arm is rocked, and a rotatable member operatively connected to the other end of the arm.

2. An electrical switch including a stationary block and a pair of spaced contacts thereon, a switch arm slidably fulcrumed intermediate its ends on the block for rocking movement across the face of the block, a pair of spaced spring contacts carried by one end of the arm engageable with the respective fixed contacts as the arm is rocked, and a rotatable member operatively connected to the other end of the arm, said rotatable member having a notch therein and said last mentioned end of the arm being shaped to lit in said notch when the arm is in its central neutral position.

8. An electrical switch including a station ary block and a pair of spaced contacts thereon, a switch arm slidably fulcrumed intermediate its ends on the block for rocking movement across the face of the block, a pair of spaced spring contacts carried by one end of the arm engageable with the respective fixed contacts as the arm is rocked, and a rotatable member opera tively connected to the other end of the arm, said rotatable member having a notch therein and said last mentioned end of the arm being shaped to lit in said notch when the arm is in its central neutral position, the arm being slotted to slide on its fulcrum and permit slight axial movement of the arm as the rotatable member is turned to rock the arm.

4. An electrical switch including a station ary block and a pair of spaced contacts thereon, a switch arm fulcrumed intermediate its ends on the block for rocking movement across the face of the block, a pair of spaced spring contacts carried by one end of the arm engageable with the respective fixed contacts as the arm is rocked, a rotatable member operatively connected to the other end of the arm, said rotatable member having a. notch therein and said last mentioned end of the arm being shaped to [it in said notch when the arm is in its central neutral position, the arm being slotted to slide on its fulcrum and permit slight axial movement of the arm as the rotatable member is turned to rock the arm, and a spring opposing such sliding movement and maintaining the pointed end of the arm against the sliding member.

5. On electrical switch including a stationary block and a pair of spaced contacts thereon, a switch arm fulcrumed intermediate its ends on the block for rocking movementacross the face of the block, a pair of spaced contacts carried by one end of the arm engageable with the respective fixed contacts as the arm is rocked, and a rotatable mem ber operatively connected to the other end of the arm, said block having a contact plate inlaid on its face, the movable contact members comprising fingers integral with a contact plate on the rear face of the arm wiping the first contact plate in all positions of the arm.

Signed at Deep River in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut this 2d day of November, A. D. Nineteen hundred and twenty-seven.

PETER T. CALAMARI. 

